• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제16권10호
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• pp.1634-1639
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• 2006

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-encoded nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) possesses RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity, which is considered essential for viral proliferation. Thus, HCV NS5B is a good therapeutic target protein for the development of anti-HCV agents. In this study, we isolated two different kinds of nuclease-resistant RNA aptamers with 2'-fluoro pyrimidines against the HCV NS5B from a combinatorial RNA library with 40 nucleotide random sequences, using SELEX technology. The isolated RNA aptamers were observed to specifically and avidly bind the HCV NS5B with an apparent $K_d$ of 5 nM and 18 nM, respectively, in contrast with the original RNA library that hardly bound the target protein. Moreover, these aptamers could partially inhibit RNA synthesis of the HCV subgenomic replicon when transfected into Huh-7 hepatoma cell lines. These results suggest that the RNA aptamers selected in vitro could be useful not only as therapeutic agents of HCV infection but also as a powerful tool for the study of the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase mechanism.

• 한국식품영양과학회지
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.1166-1172
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• 1998

A method for the isolation and purification of DNA from a red algae, Porphyra was innovated. The innovation of the method consists mainly of three steps that include sodium acetate treatment, chloroform extraction, and 0.2 volume isopropanol precipitation step. The sodium acetate treatment was designed to remove polysaccharide contamination, and the isopropanol step to remove proteins and salts contaminents. Genomic DNA,s of several species(for example, P. tenera, P. yezoensis, P. seriata, and P. pseudolinearis) was successfully isolated by the innovated method. The amount of DNA purified from one g of sample material with the innovated method was 53 g in average. The resulting DNA was characterized to include high molecular weight and showed no nuclease activity. The DNA was pure enough to be digested directly by various restriction enzymes without any difficulties. Porphyra DNA was pure enough and adequate for amplification reaction through the polymerase chain reaction (small nuclear rDNA PCR amplification).

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.94-98
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• 2001

Type I signal peptidase cleaves the signal sequence from the amino terminus of membrane and secreted proteins afters these protein insert across the membrane. This enzyme serves as a potential target for the development of novel antibacterial agents due to its unique physiological and biochemical properties. Despite considerable research, the signal peptidase assay still remains improvement to provide further understanding of the mechanism and high-throughput inhibitor screening of this enzyme. In this paper, three known signal peptidase assays are tested with an E. coli D276A mutant signal peptidase to distinguish the sensitivity of each assays. In vitro assay using the procoat synthesized by in vitro transcription translation shows that the D276A signal peptidase I was inactive while in vivo processing of pro-OmpA expressed in the temperature-sensitive E. coli strain IT41 as well as in vitro assay using pro-OmpA nuclease A substrate show that D276A signal peptidase I has activity like wild-type signal peptidase. These results suggest that in vitro assay using the pro-OmpA nuclease A and in vivo pro-OmpA processing assay are more sensitive monitors than in vitro assay using the pro-coat. In conculsion, caution should be used when interpreting the in vitro results using the procoat.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권8호
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• pp.1241-1245
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• 2015

The aim of the present work was to examine the putative promoter region of the operon ansPAB and to determine the general elements required for the regulation of transcriptional activity. The transcriptional start site of the ansPAB promoter was determined by using highresolution S1-nuclease mapping. Sequence analysis of this region showed -10 and -35 elements, which were consistent with consensus sequences for R. etli promoters that are recognized by the major form of RNA polymerase containing the σ⁷⁰ transcription factor. Mutation studies affecting several regions located upstream of the transcriptional start site confirmed the importance of these elements on transcriptional expression.

• BMB Reports
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.66-72
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• 1997

A mammalian DNA repair enzyme, UV endonuclease III which also functions as a ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3), was purified from mouse cells and characterized. UV endonuclease III was previously cloned and known to yield a peptide of 32 kDa upon expression in E. coli [Kim et al., (1995) J. Bioi. Chem. 270, 13620-13629]. However, biochemically purified UV endonuclease III, which has a sedimentation coefficient of 3.25, appears to have an additional peptide of 28 kDa. It appears that two bands were derived from one complex, judging from the comparison of the nuclease activity on the native and SDS-gel electrophoreses. UV endonuclease III becomes non-specific upon purification and this phenomenon is more significant in the case of pure fractions of the enzyme. Non-specific activity was not influenced by pH or any salt conditions.

• BMB Reports
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.201-206
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• 2003

Two lymphoid-specific proteins, RAG1 and RAG2, are required for the initiation of the V(D)J recombination in vitro. The V(D)J cleavage that is mediated by RAG proteins at the border between the coding and signal sequences results in the production of a hairpin at the coding end and a double-stranded break at the signal end. Two hairpin coding ends are re-opened, modified, and sealed; whereas, the signal ends are directly ligated. Here I report that only RAG1 can carry out a distinct endonucleolytic activity in vitro using an oligonucleotide substrate that is tethered by a short single-stranded DNA. The purified RAG1 protein alone formed a nick at the near position to the recombination signal sequence. This endonucleolytic activity was eliminated by immunoprecipitation using the RAG1-specific antibody, and required the 3'-hydroxy group. All of the RAG1 mutants that were incapable of the nick and hairpin formation in the V(D)J cleavage analysis also showed this new endonucleolytic activity. This suggests that the nicking activity that was observed might be functionally different from the nick formation in the V(D)J cleavage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권10호
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• pp.1768-1771
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• 2015

Human Fen1 protein (hFen1) plays an important role in Okazaki fragment processing by cleaving the flap structure at the junction between single-stranded (ss) DNA and doublestranded (ds) DNA, an intermediate formed during Okazaki fragment processing, resulting in ligatable nicked dsDNA. It was reported that hChlR1, a member of the cohesion establishment factor family, stimulates hFen1 nuclease activity regardless of its ATPase activity. In this study, we found that cohesion establishment factors cooperatively stimulate endonuclease activity of hFen1 in in vivo mimic condition, including replication protein-A-coated DNA and high salt. Our findings are helpful to explain how a DNA replication machinery larger than the cohesion complex goes through the cohesin ring structure on DNA during S phase in the cell cycle.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.125-133
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• 1982

Mutational experiments were performed to imporve the cellulase productivity of Aspergillus phoenicis KU175, isolated from the southern part of Korea, as a high cellulase producer. By treatment ultra-violet light nad 4-NQO(4-Nitroquinoline-N-Oxide), mutation waas induced, and treatment ultra-violet light and 4-NQO (4-Nitroquinoline-N-Oxide), mutation was induced, and A.phoenicis KU175-115 was finally selected for its highest avicelase production. Avicelase production of the mutant was increased about 2 times compared with those of the wild strain. However, activities of other hydrolytic enzymes, such as amylase, protease and nuclease, of the mutant strain didn't show a marked difference compared with those of the nuclease, of the mutant strain didn't show a marked difference compared with the wild strain, except slight increase in ribonuclease activity and slight decrease in glucoamylase activity. Avicelases from the mutant strain selected were purified from wheat bran culture by successive salting out, followed by dialysis and column chromatography, and their charcteristics were compared with thosw of the wild strain. Avicelase was separated into three peaks in the mutant strain as well as in the case of wild strain. Avicelase II activity of the mutant strain was prominently higher than that of the wild strain, while avicelase I and III activities of those were equivalent. The optimal pH ranges and stability of avicelase II from the mutant strain were pH4-5 and pH3.5-6.0, respectively, as well as in the case of the wild strain. The optimal temperature and thermal stability of avicelase II from the mutant strain were $40{\sim}50^{\circ}C\;and\;20{\sim}55^{\circ}C$, respectively. These results were same as those of the wild strain. By the using of Eadie-Hofastee plot, $K_m\;and\;V_{max}$ of avicelase II from the mutant and the wild strain were calculated to be 2.29mg/ml and $4.84{\mu}g$ reducing sugar as glucose per min equally, from the line fitted to the data by the least square method. Activity of avicelase II from the mutant strain was slightly activated by $Mg^{++}\;but\;inhibited\;by\;Cu^{++}, \;Mn^{++}\;and\;Zn^{++}$, as well as in the case of the wild strain. Therefore, it was concluded that the mutant didn't induce the formation of another avicelase isozyme, or the changes in the properties of avicelase, but induce the changes in the productively of the same avicelase II by the action of regulatory gane.

• 한국자기공명학회논문지
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.74-81
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• 2000

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dna2 protein has biochemical activities: DNA-dependent ATPase, DNA helicase and DNA nuclease and is essential for cell viability. Especially, Pro$\^$504/ is determined as an important residue in ATPase, helicase, and nuclease activity. We synthesized and determined the three-dimensional solution structure of N-terminal domain comprising residues of Val$\^$501/ -_Phe$\^$508/ (Dna2$\^$pep/) using two-dimensional $^1$H-NMR and dynamical simulated annealing calculations. On the basis of a total of 44 experimental restraints including NOEs, $^3$J$\_$$\alpha$$\beta$/ and $^3$J$\_$$\alpha$$\beta$/ coupling constants, the solution structures of Dna2$\^$epe/ were calculated with the program CNS. The 23 lowest energy structures were selected out of 50 final simulated-annealing structures. The atomic RMSDs of the final 23 structures fur the individual residues were calculated with respect to the average structure. The mean RMSDs for the 23 structures were 0.042 nm for backbone atoms and 0.316 nm for all heavy atoms, respectively. The Ramachandran plot indicates that the $\Phi$, Ψ angles of the 23 final structures are properly distributed in energetically acceptable regions. Solution structure of Dna2$\^$pep/ showed a single unique turn spanning residues of Asn$\^$503/ Val$\^$506/.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

발광 박테리아인 Photobacterium 종들의 lux 오페론 하부 영역에서 riboflavin 생합성에 관여하는 유전자들(ribⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ)이 발견되었다. Photobacterium phosphoreum의 lux 유전자와 rib 유전자를 포함하는 intergenic 영역의 단일사슬 DNA가 P. phosphoreum의 mRNA에 의하여 S1 nuclease digestion에서 손상받지 않았으며, ribⅠ에 의하여 암호화되는 P. phosphoreum의 riboflavin synthase의 활성도가 lux-specific한 효소들인 luciferase 혹은 fatty acid reductase 활성도와 같이 bioluminescence intensity의 발현과 함께 대수기 말기에서 증가하는 박테리아 발광반응의 특이한 조절 체계인 'autoinduction' 양상을 보였다. 또한 P. leiognathi의 luxB로부터 ribⅡ까지 포함하는 DNA를 강력한 lux 프로모터와 reporter(chloramphenicol acetyl transferase, CAT) 유전자 사이에 삽입하고 접합(conjugation)의 방법으로 P. leiognathi에 유전자 전이(gene transfer)시켜 CAT reporter 유전자의 발현을 P. leiognathi에서 조사한 바, 그 유전자의 발현 정도에 큰 차이가 없었을 뿐만 아니라 이 구조에서 lux 프로모터를 제거하게 되면 CAT reporter 유전자의 발현이 전혀 나타나지 않았다. 이들 실험 결과들은 lux 유전자와 rib 유전자의 intergenic영역에 lux 오페론의 전사 종결 구조(transcriptional terminator)가 존재하지 않으며 ribflavin 생합성 유전자들이 그들 고유의 프로모터에 의하여 전사되는 것이 아니라 lux 오페론의 프로모터에 의하여 발현됨을 나타내는 것으로, 이는 Photobacterium 종들에서 lux 유전자와 rib 유전자들은 공동의 발현 조절 체계를 갖는 것으로 요약된다.